All of Sotheby’s Fine Watches Sell During Record-Breaking Paris Luxury Week

By Annie Davidson Watson | October 21, 2024

Sotheby’s sold all 119 lots in its Fine Watches auction on Oct. 16, achieving more than $3.74 million and breaking its sale record for Paris Luxury Week.

With the auction bringing in 3,463,080 euros overall, its average price per lot was 21% higher than at Sotheby’s March watch sale. The auction house’s annual proceeds from its Fine Watches events totals 7,455,454 euros (approximately $8.07 million)—its highest ever.

“In a very competitive market dynamically influenced by increasingly knowledgeable and savvy buyers—even those fairly new to auction—this second white-glove sale completes a milestone year for our Fine Watches division in France,” said division head Benoit Colson in a statement. “This is the result of years of attentive listening to our clients and focusing on curating sales that prioritize timepieces of the highest quality, in the best condition possible, from private collections and across all estimates from low to high.”

Many of the watches sold by Sotheby’s were coming to auction for the first time. While the sale included diverse styles and its lots came from a range of time periods, vintage timepieces by Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Cartier proved to be the most sought-after. A 2013 Patek Philippe ref. 5951P-001, pictured at top, was the highest earner, selling for 384,000 euros (roughly $416,000).

Below are a few of the other top lots from Sotheby’s auction, with their selling price.